Lovely
by EllieA
Summary: Elena is practically unknown at her high school and usually doesn't agree to go to parties. However, one day when her only friend, Bonnie, wants her to come with her to a party, Elena agrees. How does this party change everything with her life, and what are the unexpected turns that will result from it. AU Delena [Damon S.] [Elena G.]
1. Two to Tango

Lovely

**Alternate Universe: Elena is practically unknown within her school, luckily she likes it that way. Less distractions to get into her dream college of NYU Tisch School of the Arts to pursue her dream as a professional dancer. She only has one friend in the entire school, and her name is Bonnie Bennet. Bonnie is constantly wanting Elena to become more social and open, however Elena always says no, either to study or rehearse for dance. One day, Elena decides to just let loose and to agree to come to a party being held at the Mikalson's. This AU takes place 3 days after the party. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 1: Two to Tango

**(Elena's POV:)**

Usually I'm more than ecstatic to go over to school, especially when the day is A day and I get to go to advance dance with Mrs. Forbes. However, today I was less than appreciative to head over to school, and it all had to do with Damon Salvatore. It also didn't help that I felt awful today. My head was throbbing and my stomach was achy. I knew that I couldn't ask my parents to skip today since they were beyond strict when it came to school. They're both doctors, and they expect me to do extremely well at school with perfect attendance. A knock on my door breaks me from my thoughts. "Come in." I say, inviting the person who is knocking to come into my room. The door opens and I see my Mom on the other side of the door.

"You ready to go to school sweetie?" She asks. She only comes up to my room when I'm not out early, so this is a more than usual occurrence from her.

"Yeah, just let me get my bag, and I'll be good." I say Grabbing my backpack. I make sure to grab two pads just in case my period comes today. It should be coming within the next couple of days, so it's best to be prepared. I then hurry downstairs, not wanting my parents to get impatient and when I come downstairs mom, dad, and my brother Jeremy are pacing around trying to get ready for work and school. It's just like every other day with my intellectual family, and myself trying to pretend that I want to get a PHD in Phycology. I walk into the living space and walk up to my brother. "Hey, do you need me to take you to school today?"

He responds while gathering a couple of his items from the kitchen counter, "Yeah, although I can't wait until my next birthday when I'm able to drive myself."

"Yup, but for now I have to drive you, now let's go. We don't want to be late, Jer'." I say ushering him to the garage door, and we head out into my car. When I'm about to start the car, Jer' turns on the heavy metal station and I internally cringe. "Hey, if you're getting a ride in my car, at least allow me to get to pick the station." I say changing it to a more subtle alternative station. That is much better. Jer' doesn't seem to mind that much, and I just end up silently enjoying the soft beat of the song as we ride over to school. Once we arrive Jer' and I head out of my car, and we both head into school.

Once we get inside Jeremy says to me, "Hey, I have to get to class a bit early to go speak with my teacher. I'll talk to you later."

"Alrughty then… Bye." I say, and he just slightly waves back before heading off. Great, I'm the girl who hangs out with her brother when her only friend isn't here. That's awesome. I head over to my locker and wait patiently for Bonnie to show up. After a couple of minutes I begin to worry, so I pull out my phone and texted her.

'**Hey, where are you? I'm waiting by my locker.' **

I wait for about a minute, and when I don't get a reply yet, I put away my phone with a sigh. She probably wasn't feeling well today. I then begin to walk to my first period class, but while I'm headed over I bump into someone, dropping the items within my hands. I scurry to the ground to pick up all of the things that I had dropped, and I see that someone is helping me. "Thanks, I-" I look up to see crystal blue eyes and I drop the items I had just picked up once again, knowing who this is.

"Hmmm, extra clumsy today aren't we?" He says smoothly, and I regain composure.

"I don't want to talk right now, Damon." I choke out picking up my stuff for the second time. I pick up each item as quickly as possible, hoping that I can evade this conversation as much as possible.

"Aww, c'mon, don't you want to talk to me?" Damon says pretending to pout, and I simply just turn away from him, trying to escape. I feel Damon grab my arm and turn me around back to face him.

"What do you want?" I spit out at him. I truly wasn't in the mood to talk to him, after all he's been a jerk to me my whole life, why should I want to talk to him.

"What's with the sour attitude all of the sudden? Is someone having regrets?" Damon asks while tilting his head to the side. I want to smack him so hard for being so cocky and pestering.

"Just leave me alone, Damon. I do not want to be around you right now." I say agitatedly before hurrying off in the other direction. Before I leave I see Damon's face twist to one of slight anger, but I didn't find it in me to care.

"That's not what you said last night!" Damon says loudly and the hallway gets quieter, while heads turn to the source of the voice. With all eyes on me a blush of embarrassment spreads across my face and I can hear people whispering as I pass them. Even a girl has the audacity to call me a slut as I pass her to get to my first period class. I feel tears start to well up in my eyes, but I force myself to remain strong so I don't show people that their words hurt me. I shut my eyes tight as I head over to my first period class, remembering the exact event that got me in this situation.

**(Flashback 3 days prior)**

"_Bonnie, what do we do at these parties?" I ask a bit awkwardly. I've never been to a high school party before and I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable here, with all of the loud music, illegal drinking, and people making out. I felt myself regretting more and more that I agreed to come here with Bonnie. _

"_C'mon girl, knock back a drink. Let loose. Have some fun!" Bonnie replies taking a long sip of whatever drink that was inside her cup. I love Bonnie to pieces, but I couldn't help but to feel so out of place here. Bonnie sighs and grabs me a cup filled with an alcohol of some sort. _

"_No thanks." I say putting my hands up to stop her from handing me the drink. _

"_Aw, c'mon, I just want you to have fun, 'Lena. What do you say… for me?" Bonnie asks handing me the cup once more. I think it over thoroughly before ultimately deciding that there is no harm done in having one drink. I take a drink and take a swig of it. I start coughing as the substance burns my throat and Bonnie start laughing. I glared at her and she puts her arms up defensively. "I'm sorry for not giving you a warning, I just had to see your reaction." Bonnie adds apologetically. I just simply sigh as I take a smaller sip, this time exspecting what's to happen. In not that much time I have downed the cup and I can already feel some of the effects of the drink. _If only I knew then that it was whiskey within my glass, and that it was the equivalent of having 4 shots of it. _Within a couple of minutes I am borderline drunk and I'm dancing with Bonnie, while having a lot of fun. Then, some guy comes up and starts to flirt with Bonnie. She is practically a puddle of giggles, and after he whispers something in her ear she turns to me. "Hey, 'Lena. Can I go dance with him for a bit? I promise it won't be for long, I just want to have a bit of fun." _

"_Sure, take as much time as you want. I understand." I say urging her to go dance with him. _

"_Thanks gurl, you're the best." She says before hopping off to go dance with the guy. I just continue to bob to the beat falling deeper into the pull of my intoxicated state. I feel hands on my hips and I turn to see Damon Slavatore. In truth I've always thought of him as attractive… after all I'm not blind. However, if I wasn't in an intoxicated state right now, I'd be slapping his hands away from my hips. I lean into his touch and wrap my arms around his neck. _

_Damon leans in and whispers in my ear, "Since when did little Miss Uptight come to parties?" The velvetines of his voice leaves my knees weak and I swallow hard. _

"_Well, little Miss Uptight, can have fun too." I slur flirtatiously. He chuckles as we continue to sway to the song. _

"_All that I know is that sober Uptighty would never let me dance with her." Damon says. _

"_Are you sure about that." I say leaning my head into the crook of his neck and I feel him stiffen a bit. _

"_Elena… you're playing with fire." Damon says seriously. He never calls me by my actual name, Elena, so I can tell that he's being genuine right now. _

"_What if I like the heat." I whisper in his ear and then I feel him start to move pulling me with him. "Where are we going?" I giggle as he continues to pull me out, away from the party. He doesn't answer me and he just continues to lead me somewhere. We stop at a car that I recognize as his car due to the fact that I am in love with his Camaro. That was the one thing that I actually liked about Damon. He had good style. _

"_Get in." Damon says and I turn over to him. His eyes are dark and dripping with lust, and I feel a pit of nervousness overtake me. However, I let the whiskey due the talking, and I walk to the passengers side and hop in. Damon is already in the driver's seat, and he quickly starts the car and gets moving. I look over to him and notice that he is gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles are white, and I see his gaze intently on the road. _

_My voice shakes as I ask, "Where are we going?" _

_He doesn't bother to look at me as he answers, "Somewhere private." I subconsciously took a large gulp to try and calm some of my nerves. After all I was still a virgin. Of course people thought that I had lost my virginity when I dated Mat Donivan last year, however he transferred schools and we lost contact. I nervously rub my arm as I await to where we are headed. It doesn't take long before we are parked in a completely private area, and while I'm still observing my surroundings Damon attacks my mouth with a feverish kiss. I'm taken aback at first, but later find myself kissing him back with the same intensity. I feel his tongue trace the edge of my lips begging for entry, which I grant him access to. We are making out for what seems to be an hour, before I feel him move to to where I'm sitting on his lap. To be honest I don't know what I'm supposed to do, however when I experimentally rub my hips on his hard on I am rewarded with a deep groan from him. This is the encouragement I need to continue my movements as we continue to make out. I feel him hands move beneath my shirt and cup my bra covered breast. This time it's my turn to voice my satisfaction and I moan at the feeling. He then moves us so we are in his back seat, and he pulls up my shirt. He breaks the kiss for a second to look at my body. I hear him mumble something appreciate before he starts to kiss me one more. I then start to unbutton his shirt in order to get him closer to me, and when all the buttons are done I push it off of his shoulder and move my hands across his chest, learning the contours of his body. He then moves us so that he is on top, and continues to uncloth me by unbuttoning my jeans. He then moves the clothing past of slim legs and while he's doing that I feel his hand lightly touch it on it's way up to my hips once more. Feeling bold I reach down and grab his bulge. He groans loudly, but stops my hand. He then unbuttons his pants and takes them off, then he move my hand underneath his boxer-briefs and I begin to run my hand up and down his length. His moans and pants are uncontrollable and I feel a lot of satisfaction from making his feel this way. Then he pulls my hand away while panting heavily. I look at him confusedly before he says out of breath, " If you would've done that any longer… I probably would've cum." I feel my cheeks heat up at his bluntness and he chuckles at my shyness. "Baby, that's a good thing. Trust me." He adds smoothly while kissing at my jaw and neck. I couldn't help but to love his calling me baby. He then reaches behind me and unclasps my bra. He then pushes my underwear past my hips, and I do the same with his boxer-briefs. He then looks at me in the eye and clasps our hands together before-_

"Miss Gilbert?" My teacher asks me and my attention snaps up to him.

"Uh.. yes Mr. Tenling?" I ask trying to clear my head of all thought of that night's events. I can feel that I'm hot all over and the headache has gotten worse.

"Are you okay, you seem out of it." He says and I just simply nod. I hear a few girls giggle at me being called out and I simply just lower my head, wishing that I'd just disappear. When the bell rings for A lunch dismissal, as I'm walking to lunch I feel myself become nauseous and I ran over to the bathrooms. When I make it to a stall I begin to puke violently. Once I'm done I flush it and wash my face off with the running water. I look into the mirror and notice that my skin looks pale. I feel the familiar ache of my head and I opened my bag to look for some advil, but I only find pads. Just then a thought comes to my head, and I feel my breathing hike at the thought. Could I? Fear began to pump through me as I decide that I need to go check this out to make sure that what I'm thinking isn't true. I feel lightheaded coming over to lunch. I'm especially ravenous today. I get myself a burger, fries, fruit, juice, and some condiments and utensils. I make my way over to table and sit down quietly eating my lunch. Thinking about what I suspect, and hoping that it turns out to be false. After all I was only just a Junior. I had SAT's and ACT's and I dream to become a dancer. This can't be my reality. I can't be pregnant. Especially with Damon Salvatore's baby.

**(End of school: Convenience store)**

I check on each of the shelves looking for everything. Luckily I had my own credit card, and the purchases I make today will not be tracked by my parents. So far I have a pregnancy test and some maternity vitamins. If I am pregnant, than it would be best if I had these. I knew that if I was pregnant, that abortion would never be an option. I simply wasn't the type of person to ever consider that as an option. I head up to the front desk to a guy who appears to be in his early twenties. I notice his judgy glance at me and I feel myself becoming more and more embarrassed in myself. Is this how it's going to be like if I am pregnant. Just a whole lot of judgment? Luckily, he doesn't speak upon it and I'm able to leave the store quickly. I headed back to my car, and hope in before driving to my home. I notice that I'm driving a bit quick, but I'm in a hurry to get home so that I can either confirm or deny my suspicions. I was hoping for the latter. Since I'm driving rather quickly it doesn't take long for me to arrive home, and I quickly head upstairs and into my bathroom. I read the instructions and follow through with them, as I wait impatiently for the results. This was probably just a scare. Yeah! That had to be it. There was no way I was pregnant after one time. The only thing that I was at risk of currently knowing Damon was an STD. There is no way that I'm pregnant. I wait for a little while longer before I check the test. I look at the test breathing heavily and its...negative. I sigh in relief upon the result. This was way better than anything and I felt myself being showered with happiness and relief. I'm truly not ready to be a mother yet, and I'm definitely not wanting to be a mother of Damon Salvatore's child. I let out a small laugh and throw the test away. I then continue the rest of the day without any worry. Yes, I still felt nauseous, but now I was almost certain that it's a stomach bug or something related. The rest of the day flies by quickly and soon night falls and I head over to my bed and fall deep into slumber. Content with the outcome of today.

**-end of chapter-**


	2. Rockaby

Lovely

**Thank you to whoever reads this and I appreciate your support. I'm making that chapters much longer from here on out, and I just needed to kick off the first chapter with an easy to write and read chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter!**

Chapter 2: Rockaby

The dim light peeking through the curtains, and the soft melodic sound of the birds awaken me from sleep. I sit up on my bed and stretch with a big yawn. I check the time to notice that I woke up a bit earlier than my alarm and I turn it off to avoid it beeping in a later time. When I try to stand I feel weak and nauseous. Damn, I hate stomach bugs. I clutch my stomach making another attempt to arise from my bed and this time it's successful with me being able to stand up. I slowly walked to the bathroom to wash my face, in hopes that it would help with my headache and sickness. I turn the water on the coolest setting and splash my face. I wakes me up more and I feel the sickness dull bit, however I still feel extremely nauseous. I quickly try to put toothpaste on my toothbrush and I pick it up to my mouth, however before it can even get to brushing the smell makes me want to vomit and I clasp my hand over my mouth before running to the toilet. This stomach bug had been consistent, and this is now the third week I've been feeling these intense dizzy spells and nausea. I know I'm not pregnant due to the test I took early on, and I even took another one two days later. There is no way I'm pregnant, so why am I still feeling sickly. I begin to worry, and I also come to the conclusion that it's time that I should tell my parents about my consistent sickness. After cleaning my teeth, fixing my breath, and calming down my nerves I headed downstairs to where my parents should be. I see my dad, mom, and Jer', and I approach my parents who are currently talking with one another right now. My dad notices my presence and greets me warmly, "Hey kiddo, what are you doing in your PJ's?"

I take a deep breath hoping that whatever reaction is to come from him is a positive one, and that they actually take what I have to say seriously. I compose myself and reply, "I believe that something may be wrong. I've been constantly sick for three weeks now, and I've checked so many things, that I'm starting to believe that it may be serious." I notice my mom and dad's face change to one a slight shock. I guess they haven't noticed that I've been feeling sick for the past few weeks, and I guess they're a bit surprised.

"Oh, do you feel like you need to go to the hospital, baby?" My mother asks seriously with concern etched into her voice. I'm a bit curious as to why they are treating this so seriously. Usually when I tell them that I feel sick they just tell me the importance of attendance and school.

"You would take me to the hospital? What about attendance and school?" I ask confusedly. I'm grateful that they are listening to me, however, I couldn't help but to be curious of their willing to help response.

"We knew that whenever you talked about sickness before, it didn't seem serious, however if this is a recurring thing, and you have perfect attendance. I don't see why we shouldn't look into it." My mother replies and I feel a wave of relief food through me at the fact that I'll be taken to the hospital to get better. Just then I remember something. Jeremy.

"Wait, who is going to take, Jer' to school?" I ask curiously glancing between my parents and I see their expressions change one of deep thoughts. I can see them both thinking over what to do.

"I'll go ahead and take Jeremy to school. You father has a day off today, so I'll just quickly drop him off, and then go to work. Does that sound okay, baby?" My mother asks. I nod in affirmation and she smiles reassuringly at me. "ALrighty then. I'll see you later." My mom say to my dad and I.

"Bye." I say towards her.

"See you later, honey." My dad replies . He then turns to me and glancing at me once over. "How about you can go and change into something more comfortable, and then we can go ahead and get to the hospital. Okay, kiddo?" My dad asks.

"Yup, I'll be down soon. Love you, daddy." I say before scurrying off upstairs again. Once I arrive back at my room I look through my closet to find something to wear. I find some wind shorts and a T-shirt, and quickly put it on before heading back downstairs. I'm also currently putting my hair up in a high pony to put it out of my face, and I have my tennis shoes at the side table next to the front door. "You ready?" My dad asks once he sees me.

"Yeah, I'll go and grab my shoes on the way out, and put them on in the car." I inform, and he nodded. I follow him out to the car with my shoes in hand, and I take a seat in the passenger's side of the car. My dad starts the car and turns on the dreadful radio talk station, however I don't complain since he has allowed me to take a day off of school. I put my shoes on along the way, and in 12 minutes we arrive at the hospital. My dad and I get out of the car and head into the waiting room.

"I'll go fill out paperwork, and we'll have to wait for a little bit for a doctor to see us, okay?" My dad asks and I nod, taking a seat. My dad soon takes the seat next to me with a bunch of papers in his hands, and I wait patiently for the doctor to arrive. My dad finished the paper work, and just about 10 minutes later a nurse announces that the doctor is ready. My dad, the nurse, and I wait in a check up room for a little bit until the actual doctor who'll be running the test on my shows up. The nurse greets the doctors and says goodbye to my father and I before leaving the room.

The doctors have a deep completion, and he has put together presence and build. He smiled kindly at me and extends a hand as he says, "Hi, you must be Miss Gilbert. I'm Doctor Marsh, and I'll be taking care of all of your needed test and I'll be acknowledging your concerns. Now, before I start to run the test I'd like to discuss what has been bothering you so I can at least have a slight idea of what may be happening with you." The doctor says and I feel very comfortable and relaxed around him. He's very charismatic and charming to be around which is pretty good for a doctor, especially a family doctor.

"Uh, I've been mainly feel nauseous. It comes and goes in waves, but it consistent throughout the day. I've also been feeling a bit dizzy and I've been sensitive to smell and touch." I explain and I see him evaluate a couple of options in his head.

"Okay, I have a couple of different diagnoses that could be what is bothering you, however to avoid having to run all of the tests I must ask you, is your period late?" He asks and I realize what he is implying. I don't blame him, heck even I thought that I was pregnant. I think back to my last period a couple days after the pregnancy test. There wasn't a lot of blood, however there was definitely spots of blood on my pads, which in my opinion counts as a period.

"No, I don't believe so." I say and the doctor takes the information in.

"Alright, I'm going to have to run several tests with you if that is okay you you and your guardian." Doctor Marsh says and my dad and I nod to show that we give out consent in the procedures. The testing wasn't as long as I thought it'd be, and it actually went by really quickly. Now, my father and I were waiting in the room for my doctor to come back with the results. It doesn't take long for the doctor to come back with papers in his hands.

"Did you figure anything our, Dr. Marsh?" I asked curiously, wanting to know what was wrong with me.

"Well, I have some good news. Miss Gilbert you are pregnant." He says enthusiastically and I feel everything fall to my stomach. I can't even speak. What about the pregnancy test. The period. What is going on? Right now I'm too scared to even look at my dad, who hasn't even said a word yet.

"Excuse me." My dad says walking out of the room. I have many questions for the doctor so I decided to ask him about them.

"I have a could of questions, one, I took two pregnancy test and both of them came back negative." I say and he thinks over the information.

"Did you follow the instructions to a T?" He asks and I nod. "Well… did you check too early?" He adds curiously.

"No, I made sure to check over periods of time to make sure." I reply, and the doctor becomes silent again thinking over what might've happened.

"Did you get pregnant before or after the test?" The doctors asks and I blush at the reminder.

"I only had one exsperience and that was before the test." I reply.

"Okay, how long after that one time did you take the test then?" He asks and I think it over.

"3 and 5 days after the incident was when I took the pregnancy tests." I inform and he has a look of understanding.

"That was the issue. You took a pregnancy test too early, the hCG concentration showed that you weren't pregnant when it was only just too early to tell." The doctor informs and I understand now.

"O-okay, so what about the period." I say curiously.

"Please describe the period."

"Well, it wasn't heavy at all, in fact it was just a light spray with a couple of spots." I explain.

"Now I see. That wasn't a period, it was something we call spotting. It's when the egg attaches to the uterine lining. It's completely normal, and it's nothing to worry about." He explains. As I take in all of the information I allow myself to finally go through the stages of shock. Why was I so immature. I should've never gone to that party! God why did this happen to me? I feel myself starting to cry. Most of it was in fear of what will happen and if I'll even be a good mother, but a tiny part of me was happy that I was going to give a new life into this world. I being to sob and I hear the doctor approach me. "This is a scary thing, especially for young mothers. However we can set up a longer appointment on the weekend and get you a OB/GYN. I'll also be giving you some prescriptions and vitamins to make sure that we are getting the proper nutrients. Also, just make sure that you are eating a lot of the healthiest food possible." The doctor says and I feel a weight lift slightly off my shoulders. I won't be alone in this. I have my family, and doctors. I know that Damon wouldn't even want the child so there is no reason to even consider him as a part of the equation. I start to think more about the future, and I even feel a slight smile spray across my face as I touch my stomach. My doctor leaves for the prescriptions and soon my dad enters. His expression is blank.

"Dad..?" I say shyly and I just lifts his hand up signalling that he doesn't want me to talk right now. I feel guilty and sad that he had to go through this disappointment with me. Heck, I'm disappointed in myself for being so rash and ignorant.

After a little bit of time, my dad finally speaks, "Since when did you engage in sexual interactions?" I look at him, and he is still not even looking at me and I sigh.

"I only had one encounter, and I was drunk at a party. I shouldn't have allowed myself to drink that and I'm so sorry." I choke out a sob. "I know you must hate having me as a daughter now." I say while sobbing hysterically. My eyes are shut tight, and I feel his arms wrap around me pulling me into a hug.

"I would never hate you, sweetie." He says and I Can tell that he is crying too. "I may be disappointed, but I'll never hate you for something you didn't have 100% control over." My dad says holding me tight. I sob into his chest reveling in the warmth. He rocked me back and forth and I feel myself regain my composure.

"Well I'm pretty mad at myself right now." I admit enclosing my arms around myself.

"I have to admit I was pretty mad upon first hearing the news, and I had to take a breather outside. I knew it was unfair of me to yell at you, and I want to talk about this calmly. However, you really didn't know better, and you were under the influence of alcohol. I don't blame you for anything sweetie." My dad says.

A small smile comes across my face as I say, "Thanks dad." Just then the door opens and Doctor Marsh comes in with a bag.

"Here, I was able to get all of the supplements and vitamins for you." He says handing me the bag. "I also have the paperwork for today." He adds handing my dad some papers. "And I have my card, and a list of OB/GYN specialist at our hospital for each of you." He says handing us the contacts.

"Thank you so much Doctor." I say gratefully and he smiles warmly at me.

"It's no big deal. I'm glad that you two were very level headed and reasonable with the news, and I can't wait to hear more about the little bundle of joy." The doctor says and I let out a small giggle at the acknowledgment of my child. I place a hand on my stomach and feel the warmth of love spread all through me.

"Thanks, I think we'll be on our way. Thank you Doctor Marsh." My dad says before we leave. When we arrive home, my dad and I are going through all of the supplements and vitamins and the instructions on how much to take daily, how many times, and all that jazz. "I'll be checking all of the OB/GYN doctors to make sure to find the best one for you, and I assume you'll be more comfortable with a girl?" My dad asks me checking the papers.

"Yes, that would be my preference, however if the best doctor is male, than that's fine too. I'm willing to sacrifice comfort for my child." I say clutching my stomach. Even though it's just as flat as it's always been, I've been doing it so much more often.

My dad smiles at me and says, "I know that this is early on, but I can tell that you're going to be an amazing mother." I feel tears well up in my eyes, This time it's in complete happiness. All that I want right now is to be the best mother for my baby. Gosh, my emotions were all over the place now. It seems like after I found out that I'm pregnant, the symptoms have been becoming more and more prominent. I research more on the vitamins and in general whatever I can about pregnancy currently. After about 2 hours my dad approaches me. "You hungry?" He asks and just then my stomach growls loudly in response. We both laugh, "I'll take that as a yes." He says while laughing and he heads into the kitchen to begin cooking. While he is cooking i think over everything that needs to happen. I need to talk to my mom and tell her the news. I'm half and half on telling Damon or not. He is the father and it's his right to know, however, I was so scared that he'd want nothing to do with our child and just walk away harshly telling everyone along the way. The next mover for sure is to tell my mom and Jenna. I'll most likely do this at dinner tonight, and I'll talk about what I should do with my dad beforehand. I'll also ask him whether I should tell the father or not, and it just occurred to me that he doesn't even know who the father is. I daydream for what seems like hours when I'm snapped out of my thoughts by my father's voice. "Elena, lunch is ready." An amazing aroma hits my senses and I immediately stand up. I quickly rushed over to him, and he hands me a large bowl of some chilli.

"Is it okay for me to have spicy food?" I ask concerned.

"Yeah totally. You can have most foods, and I even made sure to fill this chilli with as many nutrients and health foods as possible." My dad replies and I feel relieved that I can still have my beloved spicy foods. I also take the recommended vitamins with me to have with the meal, and I fill a large cup of water. To satisfy the needs with water I'll have to drink 3 of this large cup a day. I take a seat at the kitchen table, and my dad takes a seat across from me. I take the first bite and the food tastes absolutely amazing. I continue to devour my meal while taking a couple of vitamins and large gulps of water along the way.I then remember that I had to talk to my dad about my mom and Damon.

"Hey, dad. What should I do with mom tonight?" I ask a bit hesitantly. He stays silent for a bit, clearly thinking over this carefully.

"I think that you should tell your mother and brother slowly tonight, in a way that it won't be too intense, but I believe that in general your mother will be very understanding. I don't know about Jeremy knowing how protective he is of you." My dad replies and I just nods thinking over what he said. So far the pregnancy hasn't been too stressful, however I feel as if there will be so many obstacles in the near future. There are so many things that could go wrong that I couldn't help but feel really stressed out. "Oh, I also emailed a wonderful woman named Dr. Gabriella Ventura. Her skill sets is very promising and she has excellent reviews as an OB/GYN. Plus she has had kids of her own, so I feel as if she'll have a lot of empathy and know how a pregnant woman would want to be treated. I'll wait for her to respond, and I'll set up an appointment as soon as possible." My dad explains.

"That's great dad, thank you so much for helping me." I say gratefully.

"Really it's no big deal. I'd do anything to help my little princesses." He says and I feel my face lighten at his use of plural princesses. I then remember than I need to talk to him about the father, and that it's best to talk about it now rather than later. "Uhm, I also wanted to talk to… about the father." I say and I see his expression change slightly.

"Yes, I feel like that is a very important topic that needs to be talked about." My dad agrees and I sigh, continuing.

"So, I've been contemplating on telling him or not telling him." I say and I see my dad get lost in thoughts and most likely questions.

"Do you have romantic feelings for the father?" My dad asks. I think it over, and then shake my head, 'no'. "Alright, are you at least friends with the father?" My dad asks and once again I shake my head, 'no'. He sighs before adding, "Well, despite that I feel as if it's important to tell the father no matter what. Even if the reaction is bad, you have to inform him. It's not fair to leave someone out in the dark, especially with something as important as this." I nod at everything he says. "Now, Elena. I understand if you're not ready, but at least tell me who the father is, and if the father does want to get involved in this child's life, then please have him meet me." My dad says.

"Of course. H-his name is, D-damon Salvatore." I say and I see my father's eyes widen in shock.

"A Salvatore?! I don't mean to sound brash but geez. I didn't think that I'd ever have my daughter have a Salvatore baby." My dad says running his hair through his fingers in a way to get out the frustration.

"You still think that I should tell him though… right?" I asked curiously.

"Y-yes. I stand by my word. Even if he is a Salvatore, he does not deserve to be left in the dark about your pregnancy." My father explains and I find myself agreeing in my head. I'll tell him tomorrow afterschool. The conversation ended at that and I finish my lunch, the supplements, and the water. I take my dishes to the sink and wash them, and then I head over to the bathroom having to go really bad. I heard that during pregnancy you'll want to pee more often, so that should be just great. I spend the rest of the day relaxing, talking to my dad, and trying to control my morning sickness, which it's name is a complete lie. The sickness is all day not just in the mornings, however I did hear that it should go away at the second trimester. I make sure to drink a lot of water, and if I get hungry I snack on nutrient rich foods. Within hours my mom arrives home with Jeremy and they greet me. I'm nervous even though it isn't time to tell them yet, but I can't help but to feel nervous.

"Hey, sweetie? How did the trip to the hospital go?" She asks me curiously giving me a hug. I hug her back and respond when we seperate.

"I'm fine, and I'd like to go into detail about everything at dinner if that's okay with you." I say and she nods.

"Of course, baby. You're father is cooking right now, so we can talk about it soon." My mother says and I nod. I feel the nervousness build up in me more ad more as dinner becomes closer and closer. It smells heavenly, and I can smell the pasta from here. I allow myself to focus on the pasta rather than the stress which helps. When dinner is almost ready I refill my large glass with water and place it where I'm going to sit. When my dad announces that dinners ready we all sit down and fill out plates. I fill my plate a bit more than I'd usually fill it due to my enhanced hunger, and big in quickly.

"Someone's hungry." My mom jokes, and I look over to my dad to see if now is a good time to tell her. He nudges his head telling me to go for it and I take a deep breath in and out before deciding to tell.

"Mom, you remember when I had to go to the hospital." I say.

"Of course, I'm still a bit worried, is everything okay?" She asks.

"I'm fine, but that's not what I needed to talk about." I say and I see my mom and Jeremy's interest peak.

"Okay, so what did you need to talk about?" She asks confusedly and I sigh telling myself to just go for it.

"The thing that I needed to tell you was that.." Just spit it out! "I'm pregnant." I say and I see my mom and Jer' both go into shock.

"What?!" Jer' says slamming his fork down angrily. I gump at the intrusion and cower slightly. 'What do you mean, 'you're pregnant.'" He says angrily.

"Calm down, Jeremy." My dad tries to ease him, but I can tell that he is having none of it.

"The heck I should calm down! Someone knocked up my sister!" Jer yells frustratedly.

"Jer' stop." My mom says sternly.

"But-"

"I said stop! You are not helping your sister by yelling and causing her to cower!" My mother snaps and Jeremy shuts his mouth. She then turns to me and asks, "Elena… what exactly happened?"

I take a deep breath and try to recall everything in the best way I can. "A little over 3 weeks ago I went to a party with Bonnie, and I ended up having a drink. I got borderline drunk and had a drunken fling which led to the pregnancy." I explain.

"Did you have any sexual partners before the one time fling?" y mom asks.

"No! I wasn't even planning on doing anything sexual it just… happened." I say meekly and I see my mom soften up and her eyes shine with understanding.

"Oh, baby. I'm still a bit disappointed that you'd even allow yourself to drink, however I don't blame you for anything." My mom says and I smile at her. I then look over to Jer' who appears to be thinking everything over.

"J-Jer'?" I ask curios to his opinion of the matter.

"Just… at least tell me who the father is." Jeremy says.

"D-Damon Salvatore." I say and I see Jeremy tense.

"Damon Salvatore! Oh, he is so dead."

"Jer' stop!" I say desperately and he turns to me. "Look I understand that you're mad, but I haven't even told him yet, and even if I did, I don't want you to beat him up, so please." I add desperately and I him scrunch his face up in anger and then soften again.

"FIne, but he better not do anything wrong with you, or he is a dead man." Jeremy says and I giggle.

"Thanks for understanding Jer'... thank you all. I'm really glad that I don't have to go through with this on my own, and I'm glad that you all are so supportive." I say gratefully and my mother smiles at me.

"Of course baby. We are all here for you." My mother says and I feel like crying for the 16th time today. Damn, I have got to get my emotions in check. I spend the rest of the night with my family talking about the pregnancy and my plans and supplements, and everything is actually pretty nice. I do end up puking sometime before bed, but it doesn't appear to be too much of a danger with nutrients, and the rest of the night continues. I end up falling asleep happy with the fact that I had my family to support me throughout my entire next morning I know i have to go to school, for more reasons than one. Mainly because I have to talk with Damon about the pregnancy. This is probably the most scary conversation yet, because it could really go any way. I hope that today goes by quickly so I don't have to be held in the torchure of having people make fun of me everyday for too long. If this is how they treat me now, I'd hate to see them once they realize that I'm pregnant. Gosh, school would be a nightmare. Luckily for me the school day does end up going by quickly and soon I'm finishing up with my last class. When the bell rings I quickly go over to where Damon is everyday at the end of school. He is in a group with all of his friends, and despite the overwhelming anxiety I feel right now, I need to talk to him.

I approach him and say, "Damon… I need to talk to you." He turns around and smirks upon seeing me.

"Is someone back for more." He says suggestively causing the group around him to laugh, however I just ignore it and try to put the desperation of the situation in my eyes.

"Damon please, no joking around. I need to talk to you. Alone." I clarify, and I see his expression becomes more serious as he looks around him.

"Fine, guys go. I have to see what she wants." He says and the other people groan before scattering off. "What do you need?" Damon asks sounding a bit impatient and I close my eyes trying to calm myself before telling him. "I don't have all day Uptighty."

With a sudden burst of rage at him being so rude to be I simply yell, "I'm pregnant you dimbo and I'm sorry if you are too busy terrorizing me and other people with your friends. You know what thinking that you might be serious about this was a mistake." I yell coldly while moving past him and I can get a glimpse of his shocked face as move past him.

"Elena, wait!" He yells after me, catching up to me and grabbing y elbow to hold me still.

"Let me go!" I yell angrily trying to break free from his iron grip but it serves no use. He is simply too strong for me and I couldn't escape. Tears are now filling my eyes. "Do you actually care?" I ask genuinely with sobbing.

"Yes! Of course I do, Elena. I…" his conversation goes silent and I tilt my head to the side.

"What?" I ask confused.

"I want to be a part of his or her life… please don't take our child away from me." I hear Damon say and I've never heard Damon sound so vulnerable. Especially since he calls it our child, it truly shows that he is being serious and not pranking me right now. I feel myself begin to cry even harder. He pulls me into his arms enclosing me in a hug and I could feel myself craving the safety more in more within his arms. He then tells me, "I'll do anything it is you need me to do, Elena. No one's going to hurt you. Touch you. Verbally assault you ever again. I'll do anything."

"Anything?" I ask seriously with teary eyes.

"Anything." Damon replies with light shining in his eyes telling me that he is saying the truth. Damon wanted to be a part of our child's life. It seemed as if everything was going better than expected. Everything was going perfectly. Damon was nowhere near perfect, but I was willing to give his a change to be in his child's life, because weiter I wanted it or not, I was pregnant, and I had people with me helping me along the way. I wouldn't be alone in this.

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I made sure to make is a lot longer, and I know the first chapter seemed confusing, but it was all intentional. I'm grateful to all of you wonderful people, and I can't wait to continue this story. **


	3. Somebody that I Used to Know

Lovely

Chapter 3: Somebody that I Used to Know

**Thank you all so much for the feedback. I tried so hard to make this story dynamic and understandable. I'm studying a lot on pregnancy and trying to make this ultimately realistic. If you have any suggestions/ revisions please review or PM me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

I'm currently getting ready for school and I've been thinking over everything. What will Damon even do today at school. Yesterday he kept promising that he'd do anything, and I also agreed to give him my number. I'll probably regret that since he kept on texting me about the pregnancy and everything. It's strange how he wasn't mad at all and he seemed like he was okay with this whole situation. Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely happy that he was so understanding, however he totally blew all of my expectations and assumptions of him away. I'm currently straightening up my outfit when I hear a ding from my phone. I pick it up to see that Damon has texted me.

'**Hey, how is she doing?' **

'**She?' **

'**Did you forget about her already...shame…' **

'**No, I didn't forget about the baby, however the baby isn't even developed enough to determine the gender.' **

'**Relax, I was just teasing. Have you eaten yet?' **

'**No, I'm feeling too sick to eat right now.' **

'**Oh no, missy. You are not skipping a meal!' **

'**Damon, it's okay.' **

'**No it's not. You have to eat breakfast, even if it's by me coming to your house and forcing you to.' **

'**Fine… I guess I'll have some fruit salad for breakfast.' **

'**Is that enough?' **

'**Yeah, it's not heavy enough to cause me to get sick and it's going to give the baby some nutrients.' **

'**Alright, just as long as you have something. I'll see you soon.' **

'**Soon?'**

'**Yup, I'll be picking you up today.' **

'**You know I have a car…' **

'**Sorry, too late. I've already made up my mind.' **

'**Damon!' **

'**Elena!' **

'**...I hate you.' **

'**You love me.' **

'**Only in your dreams.' **

'**Such sweet dreams…' **

'**And that is my cue to leave.' **

'**I'll stop texting once you tell me you're going downstairs to eat.' **

'**Alright, I'm going. Happy?'**

'**Yup, see ya.' **

'**See ya.'**

I smile while shaking my head as I put my phone away. I appreciate that Damon is concerned for the baby and it's honestly pretty amusing to see him get so worked up over something rather small. I check the mirror one last time. I might as well appreciate being able to wear tight clothes while I can, and I have on a yellow dress ending above the knees, with white cans, and my hair was straightened. I could tell what they mean by 'pregnancy glow', because even though I wasn't wearing makeup, my skin seemed to light up. Once I grab all of my items I headed downstairs to get some fruit salad. I did feel sickly, but I promised Damon I would. I take out a bowl and fill it with fresh fruit. I also make sure to get myself a large glass of water with it along with some supplements. I then took a seat at a stool at the kitchen bar. While I'm eating I hear the soft sound of heels behind me. I turn to see my Aunt Jenna and I nearly choked on my food. "Oh my gosh, Aunt Jenna!" I say enthusiastically, while getting up and wrapping my arms around her to give her a big hug.

She laughs and replies, "Elena, I just got here this morning. I hope that you don't mind that I'll be staying here for about two weeks before my house is ready to move in." My eyes go wide at the mention of a house.

"You're moving to Mystic Falls?" I ask shocked. It would be amazing if she did, but I considered it rather unexpected.

"Not in Mystic Falls, but I'll be moving pretty close, so I'll be able to see you a whole lot more!" Aunt Jenna says happily, and I smile wide at the news.

"Gosh, that amazing! I'm so excited that you'll be around Mystic Falls a whole lot more, although I have to ask, why did you move back around here?" I asked curiously.

"I got a job offer as a sales manager for a local company. I saw it as an amazing opportunity, not just financially, but a great opportunity to be close to my family." Jenna explains and I nod in understanding.

"Well, I just want you to know that I'm so proud of you. You definitely deserve this, and I'm excited to be able to see you more often." I say and she smiles appreciatively.

"Thanks, Elena. That really means a lot to me." Jenna replies happily. Just then there is a knock on the door, slightly startling Jenna. "Are you expecting anyone?" She asks turning towards me with a confused expression.

"Yeah, he offered to take me to school." I say getting my backpack, and chugging down the last of the water. I glance over at Jenna for a second to see her smirking. "What?" I ask with a smile.

"He?" She asks with a brow raised and a suggestive expression. I blush at her assumption and laugh awkwardly.

"N-no, we're just friends, Jenna." I say trying to get her to stop with the assumptions.

"Mhmm… you have fun." Jenna says and I groan in frustration. Shaking my head I go to the door and open it. Damon is standing on the other side, and I see his mouth slightly open at my appearance.

"Hello?" I say with a brow raised and a soft giggle at his gawking. I didn't expect for a simple dress to get him in awe. I watch as he composes himself once more and straightens up.

He then takes my hand and says, "Hello to you too, Elena. Might I say that you look positively radiant." He then kisses the back of my hand and I feel the heat rush to my cheeks at the action.

"I didn't know, Damon Salvatore could be so gentlemanly." I tease and he smirks.

"When he wants to be, or maybe only for the right girl." Damon replies pulling me closer by the waist.

"Sure…" I say pushing him away gently. "Let's go, Romeo. I don't want to be late for school." I add teasingly while heading past him. I hear his chuckle behind me as he catches up. When we make it to the car, Damon opens the door for me and I sigh. "I can open doors you know…"

"I know, but that doesn't mean I wont continue to open them for you." Damon says with a wink before heading to him side. I feel my belly grow hot. God damn these pregnancy hormones. Now a days it doesn't take much for me to get turned on, which is seriously annoying. I move inside to sit down in his car and Damon soon follows suit on the opposing end. I currently sitting arranging my stuff and I can feel Damon's eyes on me.

"What?" I asked curiously, looking over at him with a quizzical expression.

"Are you situated, is your seatbelt fastened, are your-"

"Damon." I say sternly and he stops speaking for a bit. I sigh before adding, "I appreciate all of the concern, but I'm okay. You're acting as if I'm sick with a terminal disease, when I'm only pregnant, so please Damon, just treat me normally." I say and I just see his nod. He starts the car and we begin to drive.

"I never meant to upset you." Damon says and I turn towards him.

"You didn't, it's just…" I start and then shut my mouth deciding not to bring it up.

"What?" Damon asks his eyes pleading with me to tell him what's bothering me.

"If I hadn't told you that I was pregnant… you would've continued to bully me… am I wrong?

"Elena…"

"Am I?" I sat more intensely and he just stays silent. "That's what I thought." I say glumly looking away from him.

"I really am sorry." Damon says softly, and I just simply close my eyes to stop myself from crying.

"I know you are… but for years I've been bullied, and you didn't even care." I quietly let out. I feel the car hault, and we move to park in a spot next to a convenience store.

I feel Damon takes my face in his hands and turn my head to look at him. A tear lightly moves down my face as I look at him, remembering all of the torment and harsh words that have affected me for years. I tried so hard to pretend that it never bothered me, like I was okay with everything, but I broke in front of him. This was something that I've kept inside of me for almost 5 years now, and I just couldn't hold back anymore. Right now I'm face to face to the man that caused me so much pain and hurt, and I'm trying so hard to stay strong and composed, but I can't. I feel tears began to pour out of my eyes as I let out a pained sob. I see Damon's eyes turn to ones of pain and guilt.

"I...I never meant to hurt you." Damon says holding me and I try to push away from him. This was all too much. Too many memories coming back.

"I hate you." I sob. "I hate you!" I say pushing against him harder, however he is holding onto me as if I were a lifeline.

"Let it all out." He says, and I can hear the sadness in his voice.

"I hate you." I say, but this time I'm not struggling I'm simply just sobbing into his chest giving up from fighting against his hold. My mind goes back to the time where this all began.

**(5 years ago)**

I can't believe that today is my 11th birthday! I was in a light pink dress and my hair was in boxer braids. I was happily skipping on that Saturday morning. I pass house after house, which were slowly getting farther and farther apart signifying that I was entering the more rural part of Mystic Falls. Perfect, this is exactly the right way then, for my destination was on the outer edge of Mystic Falls. I go further and further down the path until I reach a grand house, which looked rather victorian. The landscaping was beautiful, since it was nestled within the forest. The gigantic trees, and the bright green grass and bushes, not to mention to garden in front of the house was absolutely stunning. I've always loved this house. I run across the pebble walkway up to the front porch and skip up the dark oak steps. I then knocked on the door to the house. It doesn't take long for the door to open to a beautiful woman with raven black hair, bright fair skin, a warm smile, and crystal blue eyes.

"Elena, it's so good to see you. Oh, I should be telling you happy birthday. Damon was so excited for you to come over this morning, I mean he was practically drooling over his pancakes-"

"Mom!" I hear a boy say and I turn to see a boy who looked like a copy of his mother, only with more defined features. He was currently giving his mom a warning stare, seemingly to warn her to stop talking. "Oh, sorry sweetie, didn't mean to embarrass you in front of you lady friend." She says with a giggle and I hear Damon groan in response.

"Okay mom, we get it. Now, I'll be taking El' on a walk." Damon says quickly grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me off.

Before we venture off I hear his mom call out behind us, "Have fun you two!" Damon begins to walk faster, and soon we stop at an opening within the forest filled with vibrant flowers and is encircles with hammocks of trees.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that." Damon says meekly, his gaze is slightly off me and he has a soft smile on his face.

"It's no big deal." I brush off .

"Oh, I was meaning to tell you… happy birthday." He says taking out a small box. It's a white box embellished with gold leaves. My eyes widen and I'm about to speak since I specifically asked him not to get me anything. Damon asked if knowing what I was about to say adds, "I know you asked me not to get you anything, so don't worry. I didn't buy it.

My gaze changes and I ask, "You stole it?"

"No." He says opening the box, however my gaze is still on him. "I found it." He says and my gaze goes down to what's in the box. It's a silver necklace with little ornate details of flowers and vines on it, and I gasped at the sight of it.

"My locket...I thought I lost it forever." I say taking the necklace from him. I had lost in on a field trip last weekend, and I begged the teachers to go back once I figured out that I had left it, however we were too far off on the way back to our school. I remember crying for hours at the revelation that I had lost it. I look up at him, my eyes brimmed with tears as I ask, "How did you manage to find it?"

"I asked my mother to take me back to the museum that night knowing how upset you were that you had lost it. They didn't have it in the lost and found, however they allowed up to be able to look around for it for awhile. I was searching for hours until I found it in the world evolution section. It was hard to find, however it's worth it seeing how happy you are now." Damon says and I let out a joyous laugh while a fiddle with the necklace within my hands.

"Thank you so much… you have no idea what this means to me." I say softly opening up the locket. It contains a picture of myself and my grandmother. She recently passed away, and had dementia. This was the only photo I had with her when she still remembered who I was. I find myself crying as I close the locket and open it. I try to put it on however I'm unable to get the clasp done. "Could you help me?" I ask Damon.

He smiles at me and says, "Sure." I hand the necklace over to him and he moves behind me. He clasps the necklace and I turn around back to him with a grateful expression.

"Thank you, this is truly the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me." I say sweetly, giving him a kiss on the cheek before hugging him. He stiffens at first, most likely due to pure shock before he relaxes and hugs me back.

"Y-you're welcome." He responds with a stutterer, and after a little while we seperate. We both lay in the grass and talk for hours about life and fantasies and dreams. I truly felt relaxed and that I could talk about anything with him. I had plenty of friends, however I didn't like birthday parties, and I just prefer to spend this day with Damon. In my opinion it was so much better than any party could offer. By the time it's 1:00 P.M. we decide that it's best to head back. We arrive at his house and knock on the door. The door is opened almost instantly by a frantic man with brown hair, light skin, and hazel eyes. He had a panicked expression on his face.

"Damon, where have you been!? I've been looking everywhere for you!" He says frantically. I know him as Guispee Salvatore, Damon's father. He was actually a pretty laid back dude for a CEO, and often joked around with Damon and I whenever I came over.

"Dad? Why are you home so early? What's going on?" Damon asks seriously.

"Your mother had a heart attack, she was able to get to the phone and talk enough to get herself some help, however they assumed that she had been struggling for almost an hour!" He states and I see Damon expression drop at the news, an deven I'm taken aback from it.

I then say worriedly, "I-it was my fault, sir. I came to visit, and we hung out for longer than expected-"

"No, Sweetie, I would never blame you. Damon, needs to follow me off to the hospital to see his mother. You can make your way home, right?" Guispee asked.

"Yes, sir." I say and as he is about to leave I add, "Just tell me if she is okay the next time I see you." Damon just walks past me with a blank expression. I feel guilt and sorrow floods over me as I watch them get into the car and head off quickly. I then begin walking back to my home, my thoughts currently mixed on everything that has happened. I hope that Mrs. Salvatore is okay. I'd hate to have a part in her death. I walk the rest of the day home clinging onto my locket and praying that everything turned out okay.

**(I week later)**

Damon hasn't been to school, which has been keeping me worried. Did something seriously bad happen to Lily? My mind kept on wondering and I felt myself growing more panicky and ansey. Not to mention that I've been snappy at my friends, and now a lot of them are mad at me for being more on edge and mean. I couldn't help that I was worried, but I do admit that it wasn't fair for me to snap at them. I walk into school today thinking that he wouldn;'t be here, and I see Damon walking down the hallway. I approach him with a smile on my face. "Damon, hey, I don't mean to stress you but I'm worried. Is your mom okay?" I ask, but Damon just keeps on walking. "Damon?" I ask confusedly.

"Just do me a favour and leave me alone. Also, do not consider me your friend from here on out, because I want nothing to do with you, bitch." He spits at me. I had no idea what the word 'bitch' meant, but based on the other school goers reactions I could tell that it wasn't a nice word. With teary eyes I run over to the bathroom. I had just lost my best friend, and possible ruined his life.

That afternoon I asked my dad, since he was a doctor, what had happened to Damon's mother. She is alive, however she isn't allowed to leave the hospital due to the extremely poor condition of her heart, and that her body is too weak to perform many physical tasks. All that I remember is crying in my room the rest of the night, completely engulfed in guilt and grief.

**(Back to present time)**

Throughout the next 5 years Damon had started with just ignoring me, which turned into bullying me, which turned into everyone in school joining in. I was physically, mentally, and cyber bullied everyday because of him, and yes I did feel like I deserved it for a long time, but I still felt as if his actions were a bit extreme. I then pull back from Damon, tears still fresh, but I feel a burden lifted from my chest. Damon then cups my face, his crystal blue orbs mimicking his own mothers, yet containing such sympathy. "Do you really hate me?" He asks softly, almost as if just saying it had wounded him.

I opened my mouth to speak, but then I shut it again, thinking over everything. The truth is, I wanted to hate him. I wanted to hate him badly, however I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried, I could never hate him. "No, I don't hate you Damon." I let out with a sigh. I see hm let out a breath that I could tell he had been holding for my response. "However, it doesn't mean that I forgive you. I'm fine with you being around, because this is still your child, however I can't promise you anything, even forgiveness." I add honestly and I see Damon nod his head solemnly. I knew that my words probably hurt him, but I couldn't just lie and say that everything is okay. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression due to the bullying he had caused. I've even had night terrors at certain points, and at the worst point I had a fear of leaving my own home.

"I respect your decision, and I understand why you cannot just forgive me straight away. To be honest, I wouldn't forgive myself either. It seems as if the news about the pregnancy snapped me out of my wrong doings, and made me aware of how big of a jerk I was to you." Damon says and I nod in agreement of all of his comments. "A part of me was also jealous that you had a complete family, and not one that was limited to a hospital. I blamed it on you, when it was truly more of my fault then yours, for you had no idea of the condition my mother was in at the time." Damon explains and I take a sympathetic glance towards him. What happened to his mother was awful, and even though it doesn't excuse his actions prior to the events, I still can't help feeling sorry for him.

"On a higher note, I was planning on having a check up with my new OB-GYN. You're welcome to come if you want. I'd also love to see you mother, for I haven't seen her in years. I can't help but miss her greatly." I say and I see Damon's eyes light up.

"I'd love nothing more than to hear more about our child, and to visit my mother with you." Damon says happily, and I can't help but to be reminded of the Damon that he used to be when we were kids. Back when things were easy, and we were still friends. I smiled softly at the thought, and I feel myself growing excited thinking about the new appointment.

"Then I suppose we can meet Friday afternoon, at 5:00 P.M. at the hospital. The appointment should last no more than an hour, and then we could go visit your mother. Is that alright with you?" I ask for reassurance of his approval with the situation.

"Yeah, totally." Damon says excitedly. "Now, I believe it's time for me to take you to school before we're late." Damon adds, restarting the car.

"Yeah, I feel like that's for the best." I reply situating myself more comfortably within the seat. Damon then starts the car and we head down the street, making our way towards the school. I peered out the window glancing at the rolling hills, sturdy trees, the warm and charming homes, and the slight dew that was on the windows and in the grass from this morning's light rain shower. I take a deep breath taking in all the serenity around me. I never really appreciated nature until now, and I can't muster a reason why I haven't done it sooner. The slight rumble of the car mixed with the soft scent of the faux leather seats and a slight tone of cedar. I was ultimately relaxed throughout the car ride to school, enjoying the silence and allowing myself to truly comprehend everything that was flooding into my senses on a daily, but I just never truly enjoyed until now. Soon enough we make it to school, and we both exit the cars. I felt a bit self conscious with all the states we were getting. Damon, being someone who had bullied me only last week was now walking with me into school. Sure, we weren't holding hands, but this was still a feat for Damon, especially since he was doing this with me.

I assume Damon can sense my displeasure and he whispers in my ear, "Relax, I'm right here with you. I won't let anyone touch or harm you." I feel his words calm me down slightly, as I begin to simply ignore the glances and relax as I walk down the hallway to my locker. When I reach my locker, Damon stops with me. I turn towards him in confusion.

"Don't you have your own locker to be at?" I asked curiously.

"Nah, I just carry everything with me. I don't really have that much to carry, and it's easier this way. Also, I don't want to leave you alone right now." Damon replies and I sigh.

"Damon, you do know that you can't protect me from everything. People are going to bully and confront me, and you won't always be there to protect me." I say, and I see Damon also sigh at the thought of everything.

"I know, but if anyone does threaten you, or even mock you, I need you to tell me, because that's the only was I can ensure that no one will ever harm you, verbally or physically." Damon says and I nod.

"Okay, I'll go ahead and get my items. Since our classes are close together you can walk me, but I need you to still offer me space when I need it, because sometimes it's still painful to even look at you." I say honestly and I can see the guilt rush across Damon features.

"Just as long as you allow me to protect you, I'll be fine." Damon replies putting on the best smile he can, however, I can see through it. I know that he is hurt by the fact that I'm still hurt by his actions, however I needed to be honest with him in order to give myself a chance to heal.

"Okay." I say grabbing the last item from my locker and I zip it securely in my backpack. "Alrighty, I'm ready when you are." I say.

"Let's go." Damon says and we begin walking. While we're walking I hear a few people make comments, however whenever I feel as if Damon will snap I squeeze his arm to keep him in line. I don't believe that it's best to solve problems with violence, and I need Damon to learn that violence isn't always the answer. I also don't want him to get in trouble and get an OSS (Out of School Suspension), for I don't want to be alone, especially with the amount of jerks in my school who torment me. We were only a few classes away, and I allowed myself to relax believing that the anxiety was done for today.

"Oh, look who it is." Oh no. No. No. No. No. No. No. NO! "Little Miss Uptighty herself." I turned around to see Kol. I look next to me to see Damon seething. My eyes are pleading him to not do anything stupid. Kol and Damon are friends… or at least they used to. "Is something wrong, mate?" He asks Damon with an amused expression etched upon his face.

"No, don't speak to her that way!" Damon spits at him, and I can see that Kol is taken aback by Damon's harsh words.

"Did this bitch get under your skin? I thought you knew better than to dig in the trash." Kol says and I'm practically holding Damon back.

"Let me go." Damon tells me, but my grip on his only tightens.

"Damon, I don't want you to get in trouble. If you get an OSS you won't even be here, so please think about your actions before you act on them." I warn Damon seriously, and I see his face twist into one of anger, however he backs off and turns around, grabbing my wrist so that I follow him.

"Ha. I knew you didn't have to balls to go after me. You should go run off with that little whore of yours." Kol says and I immediately know that there is no way I can stop Damon at this point. I watch in terror as Damon sprints towards Kol and punches him so hard in the face that he was knocked to the ground with an undoubtedly broken nose. "Was that a pebble." Kol says and i see the anger in Damon rise more. He then begins to start kicking Kol in the side, and at this point there was a group of people around them cheering.

"Stop! Stop!" I was yelling at the top of my lungs, trying to pull Damon off of him, however he wouldn't stop. Punch after punch, kick after kick, Kol was beyond knocked out at this point however Damon wasn't stopping.

"What is going on here?" A stern voice asks and there is a parting in the circle. Even Damon looks up, and we see the Vice Principal Margarette Louis. She was normally kind, however really strict, especially when it came down to rules and violence. "Damon Slavatore." She says with her arms crossed. "My office." She adds. Damon moves up almost with a sense of pride, and before they leave she adds, "Also, Elena dear, could you take uh…" She pauses trying to identify the face of Kol, however there was too much blood and swelling. "Whoever that is to the nurse's office. I'll be checking the cameras to see how the entire situation played out. Until then, don't think that you're off the hook, because if I find out that anyone else is involved, I won't spare them." She says before taking Damon away. I let out an exasperated sigh of frustration. Why couldn't of Damon kept his composure. I move my hand into my hair, running my r=fingers through it, before taking Kol up and taking him to the nurse's office.

**(Afterschool- 4:30 P.M.)**

I was currently waiting outside of dentionsion for Damon. Luckily he was only given a weeks worth of detention with a warning, however I had to ensure that he wouldn't get into any more trouble afterwords. I tap my foot on the ground waiting for Damon to emerge from the door. I take out a book deciding that I'll just read this is to pass the time. I was a nice book that was well written, and had a dynamic and interesting story, so I was very interested in it, and I became more and more intrigued the further I went into it. I read the book for about 15 minutes before the door opens and I watch as kids come out, and lastly Damon emerges. He doesn't even appear to have any look of regret on his face. I glance up at him with a glare. "What? Kol deserved everything that happened to him." Damon says with a shrug and I feel myself growing more frustrated.

"That doesn't give you the right to attack him! Do you not trust me or respect me enough to try to listen when I tell you NOT to do something?" I yell at him.

"He was mocking you, and I couldn't just stand there and watch as he verbally harassed you!" Damon yells back. I feel the anger in me rise again. Why did Damon feel as if he was better than Kol.

"What did you think you were doing to me before?!" I say with tears threatening to emerge from my eyes. I was remembering everything that Damon had done to me. All the harsh words, just as bad if not worse than how Kol was today. I watch as Damon freezes, his eyes wide, and he's just looking at me. I let out a sob as I turn and start running. I couldn't do this.

"Elena, wait!" I hear him call after me. He grabs my arms and I almost screamed at the contact.

"No, no, no, no, no, no ,no ,no! D-don't t-touch me… please." I whimper out while sobbing. I see his broken expression as he witnesses the workings and effects of all of the bullying from him and other people throughout the years.

"E-elena…" He says softly, and I just curl up in the corner.

"Just please leave me alone." I sob out. My arms are covering my face, and my head is in my lap and I curl up.

"I...I'm so sorry." Damo says. I can tell that he is beginning to cry due to his voice, and soon his presence is gone. I look up at the empty hallways and allow myself to sob more. This world was cruel, and twisted, however my mom wou;d always tell me that the world had a weird way of pulling people together. A part of me wished that I could just let the past go, however I couldn't no matter how hard I tried. I didn't know what else to do other than push him away today. A part of me felt bad for doing it, since he was just protecting me, however I don't like it when there is violence involved in anything, and he also went against my wishes to attack someone. I knew that I couldn't change Damon, and that was never my intention, however, I knew that I'd have to work hard to bring out the kind boy he once was. I used to look at him with a heavy heart and full of compassion, however I can't help but to only see somebody that I used to know when I look at him now.

**I am so sorry that this chapter took so long to write, however I am incredibly competitive in band, which takes up the majority of my time. To the people who did stick around to read this chapter thank you for taking time out of you day. I truly appreciate it! Once again I'm sorry, and I believe that I'll be updating this story more often from now on. **


	4. Sapling

Lovely

**Hi… if you haven't noticed by now I only have 1 story out now. It's stressful to make everyone happy, I'm only going to be writing a story for now. I've been battling mental illness for awhile, and I'm sorry if my actions appear to be coming off an overreaction. It's hard to manage grades, band, theater, college applications, and family life. People assume the worst in others and I'm deeply sorry. I just hope that I don't make anyone frustrated or mad with anything that I write, because I don't write anything with malice intent. I hope that people can understand everything that I'm getting at, and I'm also sorry if the chapters seem shorter since I've been having a shorter and shorter schedule. Once again I'm deeply sorry if I've hurt anyone, and I'll try my best to continue uploading to make as many people as possible happy. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and have wonderful days and nights.**

**Chapter 4: Sapling**

It's the next morning and I'm currently snuggled within the confines of my sheets, wide awake. I haven't been able to sleep all night, especially with the constant dings coming from my phone from Damon trying to reach out to me. I know that I have to talk to his eventually, however now I certainly wasn't in the mood. Checking my clock, I realized that I had to get up sooner or later, otherwise I'd be late for school, which, pregnant or not, my parents would not tolerate. I ultimately decided that I need to wake up and I stretch. The usually dazed and headachy feeling was rushing through me, definitely caused by morning sickness. It's only my second week pregnant and I'm already sick and tired all the time. I stood up and slowly go through all of my morning routines, however I almost vomited when brushing my teeth… not a pleasant experience by the way. When it was about time that I headed downstairs I was in a cozy grey sweater with yoga pants and black ballerina slippers. My hair was also tied in a messy bun, and I had no makeup on due to being in a rush from being rather slow. I grab everything I needed and headed downstairs.

My dad had made me a parfait, which I was pleased about since I was actually rather hungry this morning. I ate through it rather quickly and even had a banana after. My mom loved the fact that I was craving healthy food for my baby, and kissed me on the head before heading off to work. My dad had a night shift today, so he was able to check up on me for a bit before I had to head over to school with Jeremy. Jeremy had warmed up to the idea of me being pregnant and he even joked around about the baby being named after him. It's nice that my family is very accepting of this, and I'm glad that that everything has been a lot calmer than I had expected since everyone had found out, heck even Jenna reacted well last night upon hearing the news.

Soon we had made it to school, and Jer' said goodbye to me before we headed off on our separate ways. I was probably walking for about 3 seconds before I heard a familiar voice.

"Elena!" I internally cringe at the voice. _His _voice. I turn to him with an aloof expression. "I just need to say that I'm so sorry that I ever hurt you. Please, please will you forgive me?" Damon asks and upon hearing the desperation in his voice I look up at him. His eyes are pleading with me and I feel myself growing less and less mad at him. I know he's sorry. Yes, he hurt me, and yes, it's going to take awhile for me to get over everything that happened, but I couldn't help but feel that he deserved a chance.

"O-okay. I'm not going to pretend that everything is fine, and that I'll just forget everything that happened, but what I can say right now is that I forgive you, and for now I'd like us to be friends." I say and I see Damon's eyes light up a bit with a soft smile displayed across his face.

"Thank you so much, El'." Damon says, using the childhood nickname he gave me while hugging me. I feel my eyes start to water upon the remembrance of everything. Although, unlike yesterday this wasn't a sad cry, it was a happy cry, because it told me that the old Damon wasn't gone forever. Yeah, Damon has changed, but he's not as cold as I perceived him to be a month ago. When we separate he notices me crying and his expression changes to a worried one almost instantly. "Are you okay? did I do something wrong?" Damon asks frantically and I just giggle.

"No, Damon. It's a good cry. I'm glad that we can move past all of this… just promise me something." I say and damon wipes the tears off my face gently.

"Anything." He responds.

"Promise me that you won't physically harm someone unless absolutely necessary." I say and I watch Damon swallow hard.

"But what if they just tease you more? Should I just let them go?" Damon asks.

"No, we will handle it like adults and talk about it with a school faculty member." I respond and he looks down clearly thinking about something. "What?" I ask curios and also confused as of what he is currently thinking about.

"I was just thinking about… well… did you ever report me?" Damon asks and I'm a bit taken aback.

"N-no." I say with my arms crossed.

"Why, I deserved it." Damon replies and I just sigh.

"Because a part of me still felt like I deserved it… a part of me still believes that." I reply quietly and I see Damon freeze with a shocked expression.

"No, Elena. It was never your fault. I never blamed you for anything that happened." Damon says sorrowfully and I just furrow my brows in confusion.

"You never blamed me? Then why were you so harsh to be before?" I ask.

"Because… I felt like everyone who got close to me would get hurt, and I couldn't bear to watch that fate get bestowed upon you." Damon says and I feel my heart ache at his words.

"Damon… Everything that happened would never be your fault." I say with a sad gaze.

"Are you sure? First Rose, then Stefan, and then Mama. That's three people by the time I was 13." Damon says.

"Damon! All of these events were accidents. No one could've predicted anything that happened. Okay?" I say, and his eyes have so much grief in them that I felt like my heart might break, while looking at them.

"I'll try to understand if you want me to so badly, and I promise that I won't be violent unless 100% necessary." Damon says and I smile at him warmly. I'm glad that we are solving all these issues one step at a time. It's truly the best to be honest in order to have things work out. We then head to inside once we hear the bell and head to class.

**-End of School Day (3:50 P.M)-**

I can't believe we managed to go through the entire school day without a single accident. Yes, there were ugly glares and rude comments, but Damon handled everything maturely and nothing violent happened today. I also discussed the upcoming appointment with Damon and he seems ecstatic for tomorrow. We'd both meet at the hospital at no later than 4:20 pm tomorrow. I strongly consider today to be a success in many different ways. Even afterschool was nice with my family, since my mom was able to get home early, and we were able to have an early dinner before dad went away for the night shift. Jer' wants to go to the movies tomorrow at 7:00, and then have movies after that discuss this whole pregnancy thing. It seems I have been booked completely tomorrow, and I also can't help but be excited to meet my OB/GYN. She sounds like a wonderful lady and I also want to learn more about my baby. All that I know is that tomorrow will be a monumental day for my life.

**-The Next Day at the Hospital-**

I was currently there waiting it was only 4:11 pm, but I was still feeling kinda stressed about the whole situation. Mom and Dad have to work, so they are unable to make it to the appointment, however Damon and Aunt Jenna and coming to this one, and I've been feeling antsy all day about this appointment. "Relax, Elena. He's coming." My Aunt says next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I know, it's just… everything has been moving so fast, I don't know how to handle it right now!" I say moving my hand through my hair in a frustrated gesture. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm scared. What if my baby isn't okay, or what if something has-"

"Elena! I assure you, your baby is fine. If it's your child than I know for sure it's a stubborn fighter." Aunt Jenna jokes and I smile at the comment.

"Yeah, I feel like I love my child already." I say placing a hand on my stomach. Despite the fact that it's still very flat, and you wouldn't be able to tell that I was pregnant at all, I could feel my baby's soul with me, giving me comfort and support. I came to a conclusion then and there, despite what today's outcome is, I'll love my baby no matter what.

Luckily after that, it only takes about 2 more minutes before Damon came sprinting in. "I'm sorry, there was traffic and-"

"Relax, it's still before 4:20, you're all good." I say with a warm smile. I was in a good mood, and I seriously don't think that anything would put me in a bad one right now.

"You sure? I mean, I don't want to look like a lousy father. Especially with my little girl." Damon says kneeling down by my stomach. I shake my head with a smile and he chuckles too before getting back up. "So, how is _it_ doing?" Damon asks and I sigh.

"I don't like calling our child an it. He or she is a soul and I don't want to use it to describe our baby." I say, and Damon nods.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know hated it. I won't say it intentionally again." Damon says. From then, we wait about 10 minutes before the doctor comes to us, and once we get into her office she introduces herself.

"Hi, I Dr. Fran Kellings, however since I'll be seeing you often, you can just call me, Fran." She says sweetly extending her hand out to me. I shake it and then she starts again, "Now, I'm sure you have a lot of questions about dietary needs, occurrences during pregnancy, what exactly I'll be doing today, the list goes on. Now, you may ask any questions that you feel are necessary."

"Okay, so um, what particular foods or diets do you consider the best for pregnancy?" I asked curiously. I wanted to know what foods in particular were best for my child.

"Mostly plant-based, or completely if you can. Fruit and vegetables are some of the best foods for you in general, packed with nutrients and vitamins. I would stay away from meat and dairy, mostly due to the cholesterol, hormones, saturated fat, and possible diseases that you can contract from it. Fish in particular aren't great, especially raw fish. You can't have any raw meat such as sushi or deli meat. No alcohol of any sort and please don't have too much caffeine. Raw eggs are really bad for you, so please do not have them raw. Raw sprouts and try to avoid any processed junk food. Also make sure to always wash your produce before eating them, and also only buy pasteurized fruit juice. Any other questions about food?" She asks.

"What about calcium and protein intake?" I ask.

"Calcium is actually commonly found in non-dairy foods and they come without the horomones, puss, cholesterol, and way less saturated fat."

"And protein?"

"Nuts, oats, broccoli, quinoa, lentils, pumpkin seeds, and brussels sprouts. Of course eggs are also a good source of protein, however if you were to eat them, avoid the yolk and also never eat an egg raw.

"So… you're recommending a vegan or vegetarian diet?" I ask confusedly.

"Do what you feel is most comfortable, however yes, plant-based or mostly plant-based diets are the best for you health wise, when you're pregnant or not." She says and I nod in confirmation.

"Alright, so now I'll delve into supplements to help you get enough nutrients for the baby. Now, I say you stick with the supplements you have now, and re-fill them at the pharmacy whenever you need. Also I'll be adding a couple more to the list to possibly help you along your journey throughout pregnancy." She says.

"Thank you so much." I say gratefully to her.

"You're very much welcome. Now, I'll get getting into what occurrences to expect during pregnancy. Pregnancy is very hard on the body. You'll be tired, irritable, moody, and sick probably throughout your whole pregnancy. I do recommend doing exercise, however just make sure that all of it is safe for the baby. I need to see you at least once a week to check up on the progress and that is the general explanation. Any questions?"

"Yes, what happens if I get sick?" I asked curiously.

"Yes, that's a good question. Now, there are a lot of things that we can't give you since you are pregnant, however, we'll be able to give you certain antibiotics and other things to help you recover quicker." She replies. "Any more questions?" She asks.

"Nope, at least nothing I can think of at the top of my head right now." I say.

"Alright, you can come on over Miss Gilbert, and I must ask your aunt and…"

"Friend."

"Friend, to go." She says and Damon and Aunt Jenna go.

"Is this the pelvic exam?" I ask a bit nervous.

"Yes, it may feel a bit weird since this is your first time, however I assure you nothing will hurt alright?" She asks and I nod. It did feel weird, but I knew that I'd get used to it over time. It only took a couple minutes and everyone was aloud to come back in again. Then it was time for the ultrasound. The gell felt cold on my stomach and I was holding my Aunt's and Damon's hands within mine as she continued with the ultrasound. "Okay, here is your child." She says with a smile, however I can't really see much.

"Where?' I ask with my brows furrowed.

"Since it's very early on, it's only the size of a small seed. I'll point to it." She says and she points to a small dot on the screen. I squeezed their hands tighter as I looked at the screen. No longer did blood pump through my veins, but love did. All I could feel or comprehend right now was the love I felt for the tiny dot on that screen. I knew that deep in my heart there is a permanent mark that has been left by my little sapling.

**A/N: How did you all enjoy this chapter? I know that it's a lot shorter, however I won't be able to write at a consistent schedule with long chapter. Also, I'd hate to turn the mood down, but once again I'm sorry if I have offended or hurt anyone. I hope you all liked this chapter. I love hearing you guys' feedback! Have a good day or night!**


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